Lionel Messi farewell tickets soar as black-market prices spark anger in Argentina

Lionel Messi’s final appearance for Argentina has been overshadowed by outrage over the resale of tickets at prices many times higher than their official value.

Argentina are due to face Benin in the early hours of Wednesday at River Plate’s Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, with around 85,000 fans expected to attend what is being billed as Messi’s farewell to the national team.

According to Argentine newspaper La Nacion, some tickets originally sold through the official platform for 53 euros have been put back on the market for at least 350 euros.

Premium seats have reportedly reached 905 euros, while the average resale price is now 567% higher than the original cost.

Among those accused of participating in the resale operation is influencer Chapo Martinez, who has more than one million followers on Instagram. He advertised tickets on his social media accounts, writing: “New tickets to attend the farewell of the best player in history, Lionel Andres Messi. Contact me by private message.”

The resale controversy has spread beyond Martinez, with widespread activity reported on the black market because of the demand to attend Messi’s final match for Argentina.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said the level of interest could have filled several venues.

“We could have filled five stadiums,” he said.

The anger over ticket prices emerged only hours after a separate dispute involving Benin’s preparations for the fixture.

The African side reportedly encountered several problems before the match. The facilities were said to be inadequate, there was no hot water for the players at their hotel, and the sauna was out of order. The team also complained of insufficient equipment.

Benin’s training pitch had an artificial surface, while the gym was considered unsuitable for a professional team. The squad also travelled for 23 hours in economy class, during which sports analyst Jonas Bede reportedly lost consciousness.

The match will be followed by a series of tributes to Messi, with a group of artists scheduled to perform before kick-off.

The main ceremony is expected to take place after the final whistle. According to TyC Sports, Messi will receive a commemorative plaque and a special shirt, while a video celebrating his career will be shown on the stadium’s giant screens.

The farewell will conclude with Messi addressing the supporters at Monumental, the home ground of River Plate, in an evening intended to celebrate one of the most prominent players in the history of Argentine football.